Planning an Azure migration isn’t an easy task, and using a system like Microsoft’s Azure platform can be daunting. Below, we’ve listed a few common hiccups that come with an Azure migration, and how to mitigate them.
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Microsoft Azure Culture Shock
For many, moving to Azure means moving from traditional deployments to those in the cloud. Although Microsoft provides a robust, scalable platform in Azure, there are still shifts in planning and forecasting. As any project manager will tell you, stakeholder management is essential here. From training to regular email updates to both application owners and users, project success depends on stakeholder buy-in.
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Downtime planning
In a perfect world, Azure migration would be seamless with no downtime. But for most of us, there will be some downtime when migrating applications to Azure. As with any migration, buffer for issues, both the known and the unknown. Make sure to communicate with your staff regularly so they can plan their workday around any downtime that bleeds into it. In this case, you can mitigate downtime through effective planning and scheduling your Azure migration smartly.
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Security issues
One of the most common reasons for remaining on-premises versus moving to the cloud is the security aspect. Cloud computing has come a long way in security and identity management, and Microsoft boasts industry-leading encryption. But some of your applications may have integration points to web services, third-party vendors, or even payment gateways. As a project manager, you should work with your application owners to identify any issues and plan for security structure.
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Application compatibility
Many older businesses have older applications, and trying to bring those apps into the twenty-first century can be a hassle. As with any other migration, making sure to manage your stakeholders is key here. Who owns what applications, what are they currently running on, and are they in need of an upgrade or the trash bin? Be sure to buffer in extra time for testing here and be extra clear about mapping dependencies to external integration points. You may even consider performing a proof of concept in Azure before migrating the entire application.
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Disaster recovery
Nothing is infallible, not even Microsoft. Therefore, it’s essential to build in your company’s Disaster Recovery. Depending on what kind of applications you’re migrating to the platform, you could even use Azure itself as a disaster recovery storage.
For many companies, not understanding requirements or not planning enough time for issues and unknown unknowns can be detrimental to their cloud migration. Working with a Microsoft Partner like eSoftware Associates can help mitigate some of these risks, and set you on a path to migration success.